- Grand Wizard Theodore
Grand Wizard Theodore (real name Theodore Livingston), also known as GrandWizzard Theodore or DJ GrandWizzard Theodore, is a hip hop DJ. He is widely credited as the inventor of
scratching . [cite news|publisher=NPR |title=NPR: The Birth of R
url=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7550286 |author=David Dye |date=February 22, 2007] cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=B6sxsa93gi23a |title=Grand Wizard Theodore |publisher=All Music Guide |author=Steve Huey] Born inBronx, New York .Theodore's brother, Mean Gene, was Theodore's mentor, and he began teaching him DJing before Theodore was even a teen. In addition to scratching, he achieved renown for his mastery of needle drops and other techniques which he invented or perfected. Theodore also apprenticed under
Grandmaster Flash .In the early 1980s, Theodore was a part of the group
Grandwizard Theodore & the Fantastic Five . They released "Can I Get a Soul Clap" in 1980. He was also featured in the 1983 film "Wild Style ", as well as contributing to the film's soundtrack. He explains the origin of the scratch in the documentary film "Scratch".Grand Wizard Theodore's mixing style is still innovative, as he does not simply stick to baby scratches and cuts - his mix sets sound similar to extended DMC routines, using all of the current up to date DJ tricks and styles. This is in contrast with other old school DJs, such as
Grandmaster Flash orKool Herc , whose mixing style and music selection has remained basically unchanged for the past 30 years.References
External links
* [http://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/TUTORS.9.0.html?act_session=32 Grandwizard Theodore RBMA interview session Pt.1]
* [http://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/TUTORS.9.0.html?act_session=33 Grandwizard Theodore RBMA interview session Pt.2]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWzS-CC9x1k Video of Grand Wizard Theodore Mixing Live]African American ŝ
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